Lemken Solitair ST: customised seed drill technology for large farms
The new Lemken Solitair ST might be a solution for farmers who want to drill with maximum flexibility, efficiency and power. It combines several operations in a single pass and can apply different components. It has a working width of 12 metres and a choice of front implements.
The Solitair ST can be fitted with a range of implements. When a defined row pre-consolidation is required to improve seed contact with the soil, the plastic trapezoidal roller is the tool of choice. If the seedbed is to be levelled and further crumbled, a levelling tine section is fitted. For targeted soil loosening, corrugated discs can be used as a leading tool in front of the OptiDisc seeding coulter. This produces fine soil in the seed furrow area for optimum seed placement. At the same time, targeted loosening of the soil only in front of the seed coulters ensures water-saving seedbed preparation.
The pressure-resistant double hopper is available in two versions: a 6,000-litre version divided equally into two hopper sections, or a 7,000-litre version divided into 3,000 and 4,000-litre sections. The combination of plastic hopper and modular metering system has the advantage that the whole system is fertiliser resistant. The 600-mm openings are fitted with a screw lid and container filter.
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Metering and placement
The basic version of the Solitair ST comes with four metering units per hopper section, each supplying one distributor with seed. This means that manual width section control can be implemented with the standard version. At the same time, the four modular metering units provide the basis for the single-shot process with two different components.
The four distributor heads are positioned directly above the OptiDisc coulter bar to ensure optimum transverse seed distribution. The coulter bar features parallelogram-guided double disc coulters and trailing depth control rollers, which place seed or fertiliser at a row spacing of 12.5 cm or optionally 16.7 cm. The coulter system is available in the hydraulic OptiDisc H version (up to 70 kg coulter pressure) or the mechanical OptiDisc M version (up to 45 kg coulter pressure). Both coulter pressure and seed depth can be adjusted independently of each other. This ensures that seed is always placed at exactly the same depth, even at high forward speeds and in changing soils. The trailing depth control roller presses the seed into the soil for fast, even emergence.
The greater the working width, the more important it is to follow the ground contours of the field. To achieve this, the coulter bar is divided into two sections supported by a central section. At the headlands, the coulter bar is raised and runs on side support wheels, allowing quick and gentle turning.
The new Solitair ST will be available in limited numbers from autumn 2025 and is scheduled to go into series production from 2026.
